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The History of Genghizcan the Great

M. Petis de la Croix

An English translation of Petis de la Croix's biography of Genghis Khan, a later account of his life and conquests.

This later biography presents a compiled, translated account of Genghis Khan's life for English readers.

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Title page of a book, printed in black text on white paper, reading 'The History of Genghizcan the Great, First Emperor of the Ancient Moguls and Tartars; In Four Books', with a note about collection from Oriental authors and translation by M. Petis de la Croix, and London printing details at the bottom. Handwritten marks and stamps appear in the margins.
The History of Genghizcan the Great, English translation by M. Petis de la Croix.

About this source

What it is

This book is an English translation of a biography of Genghis Khan written by M. Petis de la Croix, titled The History of Genghizcan the Great, First Emperor of the Ancient Moguls and Tartars. It compiles material from earlier Oriental authors and was printed in London.

Why it matters

Written long after Genghis Khan's lifetime, this book is a secondary account that helped shape how English readers understood him and the Mongol Empire. It shows how European scholars gathered information from Eastern sources to tell the story of a non-European conqueror to a Western audience.

Look closer

  • Why might a European writer in this period want to compile a history of Genghis Khan from Oriental sources?
  • What might get lost or changed when a story passes through translation and compilation?
  • How might this book's title and framing shape readers' first impression of Genghis Khan?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Genghis Khan on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Page of a 1908 Chinese edition of the Secret History of the Mongols, printed in vertical columns of Chinese characters transcribing Mongolian text, with smaller interlinear glosses in Chinese beside them. Some characters are bracketed and marked with small annotations.Book

Secondary source

The Secret History of the Mongols

c. 1228 (completed after 1227)

Painted portrait of a bearded man with a pale white head covering and a light cream robe against a muted sage-green background. He has a long, thin white beard and a mustache, and a small silver earring.Painting

Secondary source

Portrait of Genghis Khan

Unknown Yuan court painter

Painted manuscript frontispiece in gold, blue and green tones: on the left a seated bearded man in blue robes writes beside a flowering tree, while a standing figure in gold-patterned robes gestures toward it. On the right a white horse with a blue gold-decorated saddle cloth stands above a small seated figure, with stylized clouds and a bird-like motif above.Book

Secondary source

Tarikh-i Jahangushay-i Juvaini

Ata-Malik Juvayni

Manuscript page in Persian nastaliq script with an ornate gold-and-blue illuminated Bismillah heading at top, red-ruled borders, a marginal note in gold, and a round seal stamp in the margin on the right. Adjacent page edge visible at left.Book

Secondary source

Jami' al-tawarikh

Rashid al-Din Hamadani · c. 1400 (manuscript copy)

A tall, arch-topped grey stone stele standing upright in a display case against a dark blue background, with several vertical columns of carved inscription in an old script. A blue label sits at the bottom of the display.Artifact

Primary source

Stele of Genghis Khan

c. 1224-1225

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